Pasqal raises €100M Series B for neutral atom quantum computing.
Pasqal, a Paris-based quantum computing startup, has recently raised a €100 million Series B funding round led by Singapore’s Temasek. The company is betting on neutral atoms quantum computing, a relatively new approach to building quantum processors. This technology uses lasers to hold atoms in place with an optical tweezer. Pasqal has already demonstrated that it can control more than 300 atoms at a time.
The advantage of this technology is that it creates a very dense matrix of qubits and one that, using holographic methods, can be reshuffled in 3D space as needed for a given algorithm. This makes the machines more akin to Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) than more traditional quantum processors. Pasqal is currently working on building the quantum control system so it can start implementing quantum algorithms.
The company is working with various companies such as Crédit Agricole CIB, BASF, BMW, Siemens, Airbus, Johnson & Johnson and Thales to help them understand where its technology can solve their business needs. Pasqal believes that its system will work especially well for graph-centric problems, as it can represent the shape of the graph and embed the complexity of the algorithm in this geometry.
Pasqal’s co-founder and CEO Georges-Olivier Reymond believes that the team will be able to show its potential customers “quantum business advantage” in 2024. The company is backed by investors such as Quantonation, the Defense Innovation Fund, Daphni, Eni Next, European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, Wa’ed Ventures and Bpifrance. Christophe Jurczak, managing partner at Quantonation, expressed his pride in the company’s development and the excellence of French research.
Pasqal is an example of a quantum computing startup that is taking a unique approach to building quantum processors. The company is betting on neutral atoms quantum computing, which uses lasers to hold atoms in place with an optical tweezer. This technology creates a very dense matrix of qubits and one that can be reshuffled in 3D space as needed for a given algorithm. Pasqal is working with various companies to help them understand where its technology can solve their business needs. The company is backed by investors and is optimistic about its system, believing that they will be able to show its potential customers “quantum business advantage” in 2024.
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